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Author's Notes: With the third chapter full of sex, I believe it would be time to bring it down a notch or so. Here is where the confrontation begins between the rogues and the task force. A surprise appearance will shock all.

Disclaimer: Contains blood and gore. Some scenes are not suitable for minors. Some bad language as well.

Hunter's Moon: Special Operations

08.45 am CST

June 12th 2016

Schneider AFB

Jonathan Tomato

BBC reporter/RN reservist

"The former site of a bloody massacre has already been transformed into a fully functional facility once more. It took the combined effort of Colonel Paul Schumann and Senator John Conway to solicit financial support for the condemned base. It has been said that a major operation is about to be undertaken against the perpetrators of the attack on US soil. There is no specific time of when the operation will be mounted. All we know is that the facility has stepped up its alert level.

From Schneider Air Force Base, I'm Jonathan Tomato."

"And, cut" the cameraman said.

"This is why I hate reading press releases on air. They are very uninformative. The public has a right to know" Jonathan remarked to his cameraman, tossing the release onto the asphalt.

"Like I said, this was a bullshit assignment. Why'd the Home Office send us in the middle of the bloody desert? We could have covered the Olympics in Nagoya instead!" his cameraman, Robert G. Langley replied.

"Because, gentlemen, the Home Office was short of personnel" a deep baritone voice said behind them, chilling the blood.

"Lord Baskerville! What are you doing here of all places? I thought you were in Monaco" Robert said in awe.

"That's my twin, Edward. For why, let's just say I have a special ability that the task force needs" Lord Alfonso Baskerville said in response. "Come along, leave your cameras" he added.

Alfonso Baskerville was an imposing Briton. Standing at a little over seven feet in height, the blue-eyed blond would easily pass for a German. His body was well-toned from service in the Royal Dragoons. He had a trait unique to the Baskerville clan. He was a Lycan.

Unlike his twin Edward, Alfonso had received most of the gift. Edward was gifted with long life and good looks. Alfonso was immune to all poisons except silver-based ones. He was also given the gift, or curse, of immortality. Both of them were remarkably well-endowed.

When they were younger, both brothers had been exposed to a full moon to determine who had the trait. Edward turned first; his form was a brown wolf with white underside. Alfonso went next; and stayed human for three hours. Edward had approached with an inquisitive look on his muzzle. Sniffing at his brother, he nipped Alfonso on the neck without provocation. It was only after he had been bitten did Alfonso transform.

Strangely, unlike his brother, Alfonso could speak as soon as the animal transformation ended.

The first word was "OW!". After which, Al woke up the next morning in the cattle shed. Beside a dismembered cow.

It was this strange twist that prompted the patriarch, Albert Baskerville, to consult the family archives. Upon consultation, he learned that only one other member of the family could talk as well. It was none other than Lloyd Baskerville, Lord Hound himself. When the patriarch broke the news to his grandsons, both of them were elated. They could control their transformation almost at will. Strong emotions might cause some consternation though. Pure anger could actually force a transformation as what happened with Elanee Baskerville in the 17th century. The poor girl killed her party guests when an uninvited stranger attempted to stab her. She was denounced as a witch by the church and decapitated. With that in mind, both boys said that they would enter the military to try in controlling their tempers.

That was twenty years ago. It was a whole other ball game now.

Lord Alfonso Baskerville had snuck up to the camera crew with utmost stealth. Edward was dispatched to Monaco as a cover. Alfonso, as a Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy, was tasked with "infiltrating" A.S.R.O.C for the Home Office.

According to Prime Minister Edward Norton, "none of the agents that we have tasked for infiltration have ever come back. You, my dear boy, must find out what has kept them away". Deep down the Lycan knew that the only reason the agents never came back was if they had attempted to access secure files. Still, he did not voice his disapproval. The wolf within signaled his displeasure at the oily human in front by growling. The prime minister took no notice, thinking it was the pet corgi on the couch.

Three hours earlier...

When Lord Baskerville had arrived at Edwards AFB, he was frisked extensively for weapons. The Secret Service agents accompanying the Lord were also frisked. When the base security was satisfied, they returned the side arms to the agents. Lord Baskerville's cane stayed with a member of the flight crew who would fly them to Schneider AFB. The cane concealed a blade and this was a concern to the staff.

The flight was marked by silence. Being inside a C-130J, the young lord was not that impressed. He had always flown with such aircraft in the Gulf Wars and into the mountains of Afghanistan. What were unnerving were the stares of the additional military personnel. They were eyeing him like a hawk eyes its prey.

On the final approach, the pilot remarked to the cabin. "Please fasten your seatbelts, gentlemen. We are beginning our descent to Schneider. If any of you are intelligence officers, please do not attempt to hack the computer networks. They are highly encrypted using the LYCAN security system. There were several individuals who have tried in the weeks preceding this trip. Yes, Sir Alfonso, we are referring to you", finishing the last sentence coldly.

There was little that could actually frighten the Lycan; these events could be counted on the fingers. He had felt fright at being discovered and when his plane was shot down in the Afghan mountains. They were nothing compared to the dread that he was feeling now. With his stomach icing up, cold sweat dripped down his nape. A jolt signified that the aircraft had made contact with the tarmac, bringing the young Lycan back.

When the plane had taxied to the proper slot, the rear hatch opened. Standing outside in khaki uniforms were three senior officers, they looked predatory. A black jackal made his way forward past the officers; he extended his hand towards the intimidated British MP. Taking the hand was the last thing the Lycan wanted to do, right now he wanted to run!

"Lord Baskerville, welcome to Schneider. I am Colonel Paul Schumann, commander-in-chief of A.S.R.O.C. Please step down from the aircraft. The personnel onboard would like to unload supplies and equipment" the jackal said, introducing himself.

"Ah yes, of course" the lord complied, stepping off the ramp with the agents in tow. Glancing behind him, Alfonso noticed that both agents removed their earpieces. Stowing these in their breast pockets, they took off their jackets and transformed into a tiger and leopard respectively.

"Well, that explains why they smelt of feline" the Lycan muttered to himself. It was unfortunate that Anubis had heard the remark. The demigod snickered at the statement, garnering the shock of the British naval officer.

"You heard it?"

"Of course, I did. You are free to shake off the human shell if you wish. We are all family here" Colonel Schumann said, gesturing to the three officers to follow. The younger Lycan was speechless as he tried to keep up with the jackal.

"Here we are, out of the sand" placing his palm on one of the steel doors. The door opened and all five officers walked into the sprawling complex. The two agents were already inside, having entered through a side door.

"Sir, I'm Special Agent Donohue. This is Special Agent Chirieleison" the leopard said, gesturing to himself and the tiger. "We were sent from the Florida office to escort Lord Lycan Baskerville from LAX to Edwards to here. Hope we did not intrude on anything"

The jackal waved them both off. "Splendid job at keeping your forms secret. Why did you not answer the letters we sent?"

"Sir, the agency does not allow us to just leave for a military task force" Donohue stated.

"Besides, if the inside bets are anything to go by, your friend might be President when the elections roll around" the tiger said, referring to Senator John Conway.

Alfonso was stunned. Not only had the agents been keeping their forms a secret, they had deduced that he too was a Lycan. If the Home Office knew, why there was no telling what would happen.

The Home Office is a joke. I have friends among the staff and in Parliament itself. I knew that the despicable human would try something after he lost five human agents from MI-5. SIS sent two Lycans to find out what really happened. Their report was ignored by that self-righteous pig and he sent you as well. Unless Sir Norton wants a past indecency exposed, he will stay silent. The lines are not tapped, but we will know if you try anything.

"Where did that voice come from? It sounded like the commander, only a lot more dreadful" Lord Baskerville thought, as he tried to keep his thoughts in order.

"This way" Paul said to the perplexed officer. Alfonso was now on automatic pilot and followed the jackal through the winding corridors to an office. Because of his inattentiveness, he missed the smirk on the jackal's muzzle. Once more, the jackal placed his palm on a blank panel and the door opened. The office was identical to the one at RMA Sandhurst, commandant's office.

"Sit down" Paul instructed the Lycan in front of him. The three officers from a while ago entered the open door and closed it, securing the bolt. If Alfonso panicked, the four of them would tear him to pieces. He could feel a distinct aura start to surround his very being.

"Relax, young one. You won't be a meal for me and my officers" Anubis said soothingly, calming the wolf in front of him considerably.

"Then what do you want? I'm at your mercy here" the Lycan whimpered. A clawed hand raised Al's chin so that he was eye level with the jackal.

"I offer power beyond what this world can give. Captain Rush McIntyre, Captain Nex Canis and Lieutenant Colonel White Foley over there can attest to that" naming the three officers by their callsigns.

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" gulped the scared Lycan. He had a feeling that he did not. As he sat mulling the topic over, a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in, Sergeant MacMahon" Anubis said. The ceiling opened up and in fell the human sergeant. He was caught by White and set on his feet.

"Why can't you just use a normal door? I'm bloody fed up with landing on my belly so early in the morning. Thanks for the save White" the sergeant said, thanking White as well for the spectacular catch.

"No prob" growled the werefox.

"Sergeant, meet the new addition to your recon team. This is Major Alfonso Baskerville, he will be joining you on your 50-mile trek today" Anubis said to his sergeant, ignoring the prior sentence. The shock registered on the face of the sergeant as he remembered the well-kept manor where he took refuge.

"Anubis, I accept your addition to my team. Do I keep Elliot as well?" Stu answered informally. In private, he and the other humans on the base called each other by their names. He had not figured that the commandant might not tolerate it.

"Since when did I allow you to call me Anubis?" Anubis replied frostily, lowering the temperature in the room by several degrees.

"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again" Stu answered, swallowing his saliva with a gulp.

"You may now call me that beginning today. I'm impressed that you have the balls to address your superior so informally" Anubis smiled at his drill instructor.

With a nod, the sergeant vanished into thin air. He appeared beside the indoor Olympic-size swimming pool where Hangar 8 used to be.

That was one of the changes that Anubis did to the humans. They now had the ability to teleport over short distances. The Lycans could also do so, their endurance lengthened the distance that they could actually travel.

"How the bloody hell did I get here?" Stu muttered to no one in particular. "All I wanted was to leave that goddamn office, why am I beside a pool?"

"Come on in Stu, the water's perfect" a voice called from the poolside. Corporal William Frederick Elliot was doing laps in the pool when his mate appeared on the side farthest from him. The corporal was in his human form and was enjoying the crisp, cool water. There was no sense in clogging the filter with all the loose fur.

"Didn't see you there Will. How long have you been doing laps?" Stu answered, averting his eyes if Will was swimming naked as he was wont to do.

"A little over an hour. I used to be the swim champ for Worcester. I beat every damned human at their own events" the weredog answered confidently.

Taking a deep breath, Stu pinched his nose bridge to stop the throbbing headache. Such migraines were becoming a regular occurrence for the Scottish sergeant, two trips to the base doctor and one to Cedar Sinai still had no official diagnosis. "Get out of the pool, I want you dressed and dry for our 50-mile hike. We leave at 1000 hours. No whining this time!"

"YES SIR!" Will responded to the DI, hauling himself out of the pool with ease. Grabbing a towel nearby, the weredog made for the showers. Stealing a glance to look at his mate, Will noticed that Stu had taken a breather on one of the benches. He'd ask the cause later.

Elsewhere, the base was gearing up for an assault on the rogues. Hunter Units 3, 5, and 11 were strapping on their weapons and gear. Recon Unit 4 was also preparing for battle. Aircraft to be used for the assault were fueled and equipped with live ammunition.

03.45 hours

Tactical Center

Pentagon

Arlington, Virginia

"Sir, we have a green light from the President" handing his superior the authenticated strike package against Canid and company. The officer of the watch was none other than General Sage Sawyer. Taking a quick look, he noticed that the RCAF objected to the mission most vehemently. For the time being, they would be kept out of the loop.

"Get on the horn to Schneider. Tell them we have a green light on Priority Target" Sage ordered the airman on the console.

"Too right, sir. Can't wait to see the looks on the faces of the Hun bastards" Colonel Jack Price stated. The SAS commander was already en route to the coordinates. Schneider's forces would rendezvous with him over the DZ. He was sharing his remarks via secure video link. One company of SAS commandos had been dispatched as well to "aid" the RCA on the ground.

"Don't get cocky Jack. These guys can thwart you if you appear overconfident" Sage replied to his British counterpart.

"I've been in worse scrapes before. I always got my team home" the SAS commander responded.

"These guys don't play by the rules. I don't want to say 'I told you so' anytime soon. You got that Price?" Sage replied.

"Copy that, sir. Price out" Colonel Price stated as his monitor went dark.

"Get me a patch to Anubis. He needs to know that we have SAS personnel on the ground" Sage instructed the operator.

"Aye, sir. Route it to your headset?" the airman asked. When Sage nodded, the soldier wired the telecommunication to Sage's wireless set.

"Come on, pick up the phone" Sage implored into the ringing line.

05.57 hours

Schenider AFB

Colonel Paul "Anubis" Schumann's office

Lord Alfonso was intimidated by the presence of four Lycans. The one in front of him, Anubis, most probably was the Alpha. He had that air around him that said so. The other three were probably Betas. Though one of them smelled like the Alpha's mate, he wasn't sure who it was.

Just then, the handset of the monochrome phone on the commander's desk began to ring. Hesitating a bit, Al reached over to pick it up.

"Good morning, Lord Baskerville speaking. Who is this?" he said into the mouthpiece.

"Glad you made it in one piece Alfons. Put the phone on speaker. Anubis has to hear what I have to say" Sage said sagely.

Pressing the button marked "Speaker", the Lord replaced the handset into its carriage. Almost immediately, the booming voice of General Stephen Sawyer echoed throughout the room.

"Anubis, Colonel Price is en route to the Priority Target. I am asking that you not engage his troops. He is the vanguard force tasked with securing the DZ for your arrival. The President has also authorized your counterstrike against the rogues in Canada. Good hunting, Anubis" Sage's voice projected into the room.

"Thank you for the information Sage. I will be leading Hunter 3 into the confrontation. Get the Royal Canadian Army to fly a CAS for us. We'll need their Lynxes and Apache's for close support" Anubis responded.

"Will do, old friend. What will become of Lord Baskerville?" Sage asked the Lycan commander.

"Right now, nothing. He still has to prove that his loyalty cannot be bought. I'm attaching him to Foley's ELINT unit" Anubis replied.

"I really can't! You have to trust me on this" Al spoke up. The moment he did so, he was fixed by the piercing amber gaze of Anubis. The look on the demigod's face was unreadable; but the intention was clear.

"I understand. I will do as you ask of me" Al whimpered, his inner wolf so cowed by the power radiating off Anubis.

Good. I will allow you to talk to the news crew that will arrive here at 7.45. They will whine and you will comfort them. Understood?

"Yes, Anubis" was the short reply of the cowed Lycan. "It really was the commander who was talking to me a while back. I can't believe he is hiding most of the power. It was intensely scary to say another word out of step with what has happened. The aura was bordering on murderous" Lord Baskerville thought to himself.

"If the two of you are done comparing brainpans, I need your attention back. We have Eagles on standby at Fort Macintosh to the southwest of Canid's position. They will be flying a CAP for you. The President is not interested in prisoners. Sage out" Sage finished before he ended the call.

Anubis smiled toothily at the second to the last sentence. If Command was not interested, then he would enjoy sending the rogues' souls into the netherworld for practice and judgment. He waved his hand over the phone and hang up.

"If you have no further questions, I will change into my battle gear" Anubis told the assembled officers. With a slight wave of his paw, he changed the room into an armory.

The couches where the officers and Al were sitting on remained unchanged. They just sat back and watched Anubis pick out his weapons and armor.

White was astounded though, when he noticed Anubis remove Ra's sword from its wall mounting. His eyebrows shot up as Set's spear was also removed. A gauntlet appeared on his Alpha's right hand as well. White and Rush both knew the significance of the three artifacts. What neither realized was the power that they could channel.

After securing his holy melee and unholy ranged weapon, Anubis picked out some silver fragmentation grenades. These were laced with silver nitrate; any wounds inflicted would be painful. He also pulled out a Desert Eagle. He loaded three magazines with silver bullets and kept the original brass bullets in the pistol's magazine. Anubis then morphed into his demigod stature, standing at ten feet in height.

"Hold the fort White, Nex is coming with me for recon purposes. I need his accurate shots to pin down the rogues" Anubis said as he tossed an M 21 sniper rifle, and spare clips, to the surprised lupine.

"Okay Anubis, don't die now. I can just imagine the heat we will face" White responded cheekily.

Hunter Units, move to Hangar 5. We will use the portal to reach the area faster. The SAS have no idea of the trap they will walk into. We have to secure the DZ before the SAS get there. Another massacre will dent our prestige. You get me?

SIR, YES SIR! Moving to Hangar 5 now.

Alfonso, I will assign you the callsign Noir. It suits your wolf form. I can read minds, so be careful with what you think. I will help you with the barriers when I return.

"Okay Anubis. The callsign fits actually" Alfonso, now Noir, replied.

"I knew it would. Call up Terra and ask if he's interested as well" Anubis replied, opening a portal into Hangar 5.

"Wait, who's Terra?" Noir asked, stunned. Could it be?

"Your brother, of course. Ciao!" Anubis said as he stepped into the portal and into the hangar. When the portal closed, the room returned to normal.

"Hunters, is everyone here?" Anubis said as he walked into the room.

"Not yet, Alpha. Private Doogie is still having a whiz. He'll be here shortly" one of the human officers spoke up.

"Not soon enough" Anubis said as he clenched his palm and summoned the offending soldier.

Private Sebastian Doogie was masturbating in the men's toilet not ten yards from the hangar. He always did this before a mission to relax his nerves. He may be the first one to get all set up, but he needed this. As he began to thrust into the air, the walled toilet vanished. He appeared before four squads and one very pissed jackal. With the pleasure he was experiencing, he only noticed the others when his penis throbbed without any semen coming out.

"While I condone masturbation, human, I don't intend to let the SAS die. If we are late, I will hang you upside down and drop you from 29,092 feet. Are we clear?" Anubis told the human private.

Sebastian promptly stood up without closing his boxers and his pants were pooled around his ankles. Seeing the humiliation evident on the soldier's face, Anubis snapped his fingers. Private Doogie's equipment and uniform were fixed in the blink of an eye.

"Next time, when I say get to the hangars. You have to haul ass, got it?" Anubis spoke, growling threateningly.

"Sir, it won't happen again. I promise" Sebastian stuttered out.

Anubis bent down to the human and whispered, "If you are late, I'll make you my bitch. Believe me, you won't be the one having fun"

A portal opened at just that moment. Inside, the teams caught a glimpse of the DZ where the troops would be landing. Nex popped in within milliseconds of the portal, quite out of breath.

Anubis could dress up faster than the human eye. Nex, being mortal, needed ten minutes. The white, winged wolf woofed to signify his presence to the teams and was greeted back by Anubis.

"You're late, Nex" Anubis said, with a smirk on his face. "All units, into the portal. See you on the other side"

06.17 hours

Grid coordinates Kilo 5, India 10

Yukon Territories, Canada

Temperature: 130C

Hunter Units 3, 5, and 11 stepped out of the shimmering portal. As they did so, the Lycans shifted forms and stance. The humans pulled out their camouflage cream and smothered it on their faces. The snipers found nice spots to provide overwatch for their teammates.

Recon Unit 4 was dispatched to scout for tracks of Canid and the other rogues. A welcome voice was soon heard over the radio. A voice everyone, save Anubis, thought to be dead.

"Anubis, this is Oracle. We are going to be your AWACS support for this mission. Confirm that you are at the DZ, over" Aries said from 35,000 feet. On their IR scopes, they could see blinking strobes of the task force on the ground.

"Copy that Oracle. Any sign of the Huns?"

"That's a negative, Anubis. Still scanning" Aries responded to the Lycan Alpha on the ground. Inwardly, Aries was relieved that the head of the task force was also Lycan. "Jason should not have allied himself with Canid", the werefox thought sadly. "Here comes the wrath of God"

"Hang on; we got transport aircraft heading for the DZ at maximum speed. Who the hell are they?" another operator shouted out, drawing Aries' attention.

"Unidentified aircraft, this is Oracle. Identify now or be shot down" Aries said over the mike.

"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. Is that you Aries?" a British voice rang out. On the computer, a voice cross-reference matched it with Major Soap McTavish. "I thought you died in Guatemala two years ago?"

"I had a guardian angel looking out for me. Lycan task force is already at the DZ. You owe me brews when you get back to base" Aries replied, chuckling.

In truth, he was most certainly a goner in Central America. His team was sent to evacuate the US, and Canadian embassy, when the chopper he was in was struck by a SAM. They had gone down hard onto the suburbs outside the capital. Despite desperate fighting, he lost his squad to the militia swarming all around them. Aries could not shift to his Lycan form due to the presence of the embassy staff. They were not cleared for that. A black cloud descended on the crash site when he began to despair of ever getting home. Aries could hear screams from around the downed Chinook. He had taken one last look at his fellow marines and charged into the cloud. That was the last that anyone saw of him. With no body, the armed services just handed a flag over to Aries' distraught kin.

What Aries saw outside the cloud had stirred his primal instincts to hunt and kill. The amount of dead militia members suggested that something just passed through their ranks. There were bodies with no apparent mutilations while others were just plain unrecognizable. It was outside the cloud that he heard the voice that changed everything.

December 23rd 2014

Guatemalan suburb, Guatemala

17.30 hours

2nd Lieutenant Arnold "Aries" Vern

I heard a ringing in my ears from the crash. When I opened my eyes, I was staring into my CO's baby blue. He was saying something, yet I could only make out parts of it. As he repeated himself, sound flooded back into my senses.

"I said, 'Are you alright?' We have tangos approaching from the west, east and south. Command says it's too hot to bring another bird in, we're on our own until the convoy arrives" Captain Jimmy Leech of 1st Force Recon told his XO.

"I can hear bells!" I shouted back. He seemed to agree with my sentiment and handed me a rifle. I took it and checked the breech for ammo. Removing a spare clip from my tactical vest, I clanged it on my helmet to check if there was still ammunition. Satisfied, I loaded the weapon and started picking off the swarming militia.

"I'm hit!" one of the marines called out. Bullets were pinging off the armored helicopter's fuselage. The ricochets were mortally wounding.

"CORPSMAN!" another yelled. I focused on picking off the enemies rushing towards the western perimeter of the crash. As I loaded the second to last of my magazines, I heard a dull thud just to my right. I kept firing until the gun locked on an empty clip. Only then did I look at who got hit.

It was the captain. He had taken a round through the left lung. The frothy pink blood bubbling from the wound gave an indication to the seriousness of the issue. I called for a corpsman but none came. From what I learned from my savior, the corpsmen had been killed by a sniper.

"Aries, you're able to run? Go for help. We won't last long under these conditions" Captain Leech said as the blood drained from him. Through his labored breathing, I wanted to howl out the pain I was in. A 7.62x39 mm round had entered my right leg and stayed there. It was then that a black cloud descended on the crash site. We could hear screams from outside as militia members were killed by something.

"Hang on, I'm going for help" I said as I got up and made my way through the cloud. In the midst of the chaos stood a black jackal; he was deftly weaving his way through the militia, cutting them down with a gold sword.

Do you want to join me in the slaughter? I hear that your blood will sing with joy.

I hesitated. What if he killed me too?

_ Now, why will I do that? I'm here to bring you with me. Your human convoy will be here in forty minutes. Come Aries Vern, son of Apollo Vern. Join me in battle so that I may see your worth._

I considered my squad as my pack. With most of them dead, I wanted to exact revenge on the humans who had ended their lives. I needed no more persuasion. I shifted into my werefox form and charged headlong into battle. My blood sang with every human I killed. With my claws, I cut through their flimsy clothes and slashed at their veins. With my teeth, I broke necks and decapitated some.

The militia suffered grievous losses. They broke off the attack and retreated after thirty minutes. I wanted to pursue them, to tear their throats out and watch them bleed. A hand on my shoulder stopped me from going through with my thoughts.

Good, Aries. Take what you want from the spoils around you.

"I don't want anything from their bodies. Not even their deaths will bring back my friends" the blood-covered werefox sobbed, as the adrenaline and blood lust ebbed away.

If you are willing to dedicate your life to me, I will resurrect your fallen comrades. If you refuse, you have to choose who will live among the remaining survivors. The clock is ticking.

"I don't have that much of a choice, do I?" I said through my tears. The jackal approached and hugged me close, startling me.

"I cannot force you to do what I want. That is how much I respect your decision. When the cloud dissipates, can you stomach being called a monster?" Anubis whispered into my ear.

Steeling myself for the decision, I looked into the jackal's warm amber orbs and made my decision.

"I'll join you. Bring back my squad please?" I told him. He nodded his furred head and closed his eyes.

"It is done. Step into the portal. We will train before I return you to the mortal plane. I am Anubis, by the way" he told me as a portal appeared in front of us.

"Aries. Thank you for resurrecting my comrades" I replied.

"That is a minor matter. Come, we don't have much time"

"Aries, the convoy is here. Aries, do you copy?" my radio crackled with the voice of Capt. Leech. I unhooked it from my vest and tossed it to Anubis. I was relieved that he was alive and saddened that I have to leave.

"..." as Anubis crushed the toughened plastic in his hand.

I went into the portal and Anubis followed. Before the portal closed, I saw the radio melt in a flash of fire and the smoke dissipate into nothingness.

Present Day

06.20 hours

Yukon Territories, Canada

Aries reminisced the time he spent with Anubis. While training in the netherworld, he had met some of the Egyptian pantheon. Set offered to train the fox only to have Anubis stare him down. Ra had taken a shine to Aries and started the rigorous training program that kept him in top form. Also, he noticed that there were two jackals in the netherworld. One was Anubis peres, the other Anubis fil.

It was the younger Anubis that had caused that much devastation back in Guatemala. The elder could not be bothered. He was seeing to the influx of dead that his son had caused.

Aries looked down on his left arm. There glinting in the light was a gold bracelet. If anyone looked closely, there was the mark of Ra embossed on the inside. If Aries ever needed aid and Anubis fil was not around, all he had to do was smear some blood onto the bracelet. Ra would answer the call.

Back on the ground...

"Recon 4, what's your status?" one of the radiomen asked laconically.

"We found them. Bearing 185, three mikes from the DZ. We need support!" Corporal Vance shouted into the radio.

"Hang on. Anubis is..."

A blast of white light from behind the radioman temporarily blinded the attacking lycans. When the light dissipated, in its place was a ten foot jackal armed to the teeth. He was also missing a spear.

All Anubis had to do was zero in on the energy emanating from the ambushed recon squad. Once he had done so, he tore open a portal and stepped in. Now, he had pulled the spear from its binding on his back and hurled it with all his might.

The spear never missed its target. In this case, it tore through three lycan rogues before embedding itself into a tree. No one short of Anubis or Aries could remove it. Drawing his sword, Anubis called out to the rogues "I do not wish to send a lot of my brethren to the netherworld. Hand over Canid and I will depart the area".

"Who are you to think that we will hand over our Alpha on a silver platter?" one of the lycans challenged. He was raised into the air by an invisible hand and started to choke. A snapping sound followed soon afterwards. Dropping the lifeless body onto the forest floor, Anubis repeated his statement. Still, the assembled lycans would not give up their Alpha.

"So be it" Anubis said sadly. He focused on the souls of the lycans in front of him. Gathering the swirling energy into his gauntlet, he pulled on all of the opposing lycan rogues' souls. Some were resisting the pull coming from the gauntlet, these he let go. They would take no part in what came next.

The earth cracked and split as a monstrous hound stepped out. The hound howled at the rapidly darkening sky. When he had finished, the hound turned to the jackal demigod.

"What do you wish of me, young lord?" Wepwawet asked of the Anubis fils.

"Take these souls into the netherworld. Inform my father that they refuse to go calmly. I might cause some havoc in subduing their Alpha" Anubis Schumann told the massive hound in front of him, holding the ball composed of souls.

Wepwawet took the ball in his massive jaws and stomped thrice on the ground with his right hind paw. The ground formed a tunnel and into this tube the hound made his descent. When Wepwawet had gone, the sky cleared once more.

Anubis sighed at the dead bodies in front of him. What a waste of flesh, he thought. Drawing on his massive reserves, Anubis broadcast an area message to the fugitive Alpha.

Canid, if you refuse to come quietly, I will be forced to drag you out of whatever cave you hunkered down into. If I have to dismember you in front of your entire pack, know that you had a choice to go without a fight. End this madness now or suffer the consequences.

The reconnaissance team could not believe their eyes. A troop that was almost at company strength was flattened with one strike. "At least, he's on our side" thought Corporal Vance.

"Oracle, this is Anubis. I have encountered enemy patrols. They have been neutralized. I need body bags for three platoon's worth. Do you monitor?" Anubis said into his headset. When he was met with silence, he added "Aries, are you still conscious?"

"I'm here. Is ... still alive?" Aries asked, his spoken name garbled by static.

"That he is, old friend. He's part of the core unit. If he resists, I have no recourse. You know that as well as I. Now, focus on his position. Send me the location when you get a lock" Anubis said to the werefox.

Anubis made his way over to the remaining live lycans. He found Nicholas Svodberg, Nikko Hawk, Thomas Wayne and Jason Fern staring at him with their eyes agog at what just took place.

"You four are lucky. Aries wanted the four of you alive for a reason. I will call for him and you can tell me where Canid hid" Anubis said.

"You can find Canid at the Alert research station. He overran the isolated place last January 7th 2016. That is his staging area and fortress. The humans who resisted were killed" Sergeant Svodberg told Anubis. The rottweiler was unhappy with what Canid had done. While nominally calling Canid as the Alpha, he was searching for a way out. He found it.

"Lycans do not betray their pack leader. What is your reason for doing so?" Anubis asked as he pulled a table and some chairs out of thin air. On the table were meats of every animal, humans included.

Jason's emerald eyes surveyed the ten foot jackal from ear tips to hind paws.

It is rude to stare Emerald. It is a good thing that Aries wanted me to spare your life. I would have no compulsion in taking yours had you not resisted.

Emerald was taken aback. He had been caught staring and he knew it. A blush appeared on the red fox's face. "I was admiring your physique. Why can't you understand that we ran for our safety?"

You may be immortal, yet silver will kill you. My sword is gold and it also kills. It has a poison embedded within the blade. Unlike silver, this poison has a cure. But to reach the cure, you have to be dead. Ironic, isn't it?

"I don't understand. I thought you were human?" Eagle Eye interrupted, slack-jawed that the jackal in front of him was the A.S.R.O.C commander.

"An unknown heritage manifested in me. It made me stronger, faster and smarter. Unfortunately, my temper shortened as a result" Anubis replied, smirking. "These lycans might make good additions to the Pack. I just have to tweak their loyalty some more" Anubis thought.

Aries, I have Jason. Touch your bracelet and let Ra bring you down.

Inside the E-3 Sentry, the werefox known as Aries looked at his commanding officer. The commanding officer was Lycan as well, Colonel Vincent "Copper" Grant. When Aries gave him those puppy dog eyes, Copper's resolve crumbled every time. Now was no exception to that rule.

Copper took Aries' place at the console and allowed the werefox to use the bathroom. It was in the cubicle that Aries called for Ra. Due to the cramped space, Ra appeared outside the bathroom. He was scratching his furred mane, wondering where his charge vanished to. He was lucky that none of the humans were facing the bathroom.

They would have raised an alert.

Aries made his way out of the bathroom and tripped on the lion's tail, causing Ra to lose balance. This sent both of them sprawling onto the carpet.

"Watch where you're walking!" Ra called out to the cabin, drawing unwanted attention.

"Watch where you park your tail. I don't wanna trip on anything" Aries whimpered from his position on the carpeted floor.

Ra got off the werefox's stomach and helped his charge up. He then placed a palm on the closed airplane door. A portal appeared and Aries was unceremoniously dumped through. His task done, Ra vanished to go and play some more with Apis.

The human, who did pay witness, just shook his head. He was probably fatigued from 16 hours of no sleep. It proved to be a close call for Ra. The time was not yet ripe for the humans to know more about the pantheon, at least not yet.

On the ground...

08.00 hours

Yukon Territories, Canada

Aries was staring at the calm, blue sky overhead. If he squinted just so, he could make out the form of the E-3 Sentry that he departed from. A familiar voice brought the daydreaming werefox back to earth.

"Aries, be a good fox and pull a chair. I have to leave and bring Canid to face the music" Anubis called out to the daydreaming fox.

Aries got up off the ground and made his way towards the five other seated Lycans. As he sat down, he made eye contact with the other werefox in the area.

Jason and Aries stared each other down for a couple of minutes, green eyes looking into gold. Finally, Aries pulled Jason into a (for a human) bone-crushing hug.

"Brother, I missed you so" he whispered into his counterpart's ear. Such expression of emotion shocked Jason that he remained silent for a good five minutes. When they pulled apart, Jason saw tears brimming under Aries' eyes.

"I'm sorry I brought you this much pain. I thought you had died in Guatemala" were Jason's words as he finally spoke.

"Anubis saved me, my crew and all the staffers. I just have to work with him until he releases me" Aries mumbled into Jason's shoulder.

"What?!! You're his servant?" Jason responded, shocked at what he might have heard.

"He is mine as I am his. Now, we are cousins bound by blood. So it was, so shall it be" Anubis responded from across the clearing.

Colonel Paul "Anubis" Schumann closed his eyes and concentrated on finding Canid. If what the rottweiler said was true, then he had a protracted fight ahead of him.

The airbase at Alert used to be a Cold War-era monitoring station. It was built to survive the toughest of elements and the harshest of assaults. With cement walls three feet thick and fifty feet high, there was no scaling it. With guard towers every twelve feet, all means of approach would be spotted. The radar ceiling was fifteen feet low. Aircraft approaching would have to be stealth or radar-invisible. Even with harsh Arctic weather, the possibility of a HALO drop was incalculable. To destroy the radar, a Tomahawk cruise missile could be used. A ten second window was all they had to get their troops and supplies inward before the base alarms sounded.

It was impossible. Anubis brushed that thought aside. Impossible for humans, perhaps; there is nothing that a god cannot accomplish. With that in mind, Anubis opened his eyes and immediately felt something off about the ambient energy.

"Vance, are the humans preparing a double cross?" he asked the radioman of Recon 4.

"This is Recon Four, Oracle what is happening? Oracle, do you copy?" Corporal Vance said into his radio. When there was no response, he tried again. "Oracle, this is Recon Four. All ground threats have been neutralized. Stop the bombers. I say again, stop the bombers!"

35,000 feet

Oracle AWACS

"Oracle, what is happening? Oracle, do you copy? Oracle, this is Recon Four. All ground threats have been neutralized. Stop the bombers. I say again, stop the bombers!" the radio called out on the console. Copper could only stare at it helplessly as he was hogtied by the human crew. He could fight it out, but who would believe him?

"Aries, help me..." he muttered under his breath. This drew the attention of the soldier stationed nearby.

"Shut up, dog. You'll be joining your friends on the ground very soon" the soldier said, striking the Lycan with the rifle butt.

"Turn off that radio. If they ask, we had a systems malfunction. Got it?" Colonel Andrew Shepherd said as he aimed his Colt Python at the Lycan officer in front of him. With Aries gone, there were only two others on board. One was already dead.

"Oracle, this is Red Fox. What is going on up there?" the voice of Colonel Price could be heard in the background.

"Oracle, answer me. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?!" Major McTavish yelled into his radio.

"This is the end of the vaunted Task Force Lycan" chuckled Shepherd, pointing his gun at the tied officer. He pulled the trigger.

And was thrown against the wall of the cabin. The stunned human could only look in dismay as Copper tossed off his human form. In his place stood a seven foot high Lycan Doberman. The pieces of shredded clothing signified the transformation that Copper had undergone.

"I won't let you!" he yelled out as he charged at the human. Shepherd looked for his gun and saw it just inches away. He lunged for it. Or tried to. Something was holding him back and it wasn't the Dobie. Glancing behind him, he saw a jackal holding his legs.

"I knew that you could not be trusted. Pity, I was intrigued about your cooperation" were the words of the jackal.

"Anubis, thank God. They killed Sapphire. I was next" Copper panted against one of the bulkheads.

"SHOOT HIM! SOMEONE SHOOT HIM!" Colonel Shepherd yelled to the cabin. When no one replied, he looked around. His men were all in various stages of transformation. If they were human before, they were not now.

"YOU MONSTER! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS ACT OF TREASON!" yelled the human colonel at Anubis.

"Treason? I believe that it is you who will pay the price. You see," Anubis said, breaking the colonel's left leg, "the price for traitorous acts committed against my person is servitude. Indentured servitude for ALL eternity"

The colonel yelped in pain as his left tibia and fibula was shattered. "Jamison, help me" he called to his squadmate.

"Sir, I..." Jamison said as he tried to make his way to the pinned officer. He crawled on the carpet towards the revolver only to be halted by a throbbing pain in his forehead.

Shepherd could only watch as his buddy began to acquire more lycanthropic features.

Jamison's head felt like it was on fire. Pounding his right hand against the green carpet, he felt the bones in his hand crack and grow. The nails had already turned black and were pushing outwards to form points. His face felt like it was stretching forward. Putting his hand on his face, he felt the beginnings of a muzzle.

"This can't be happening!", he thought. "I'm human, not an animal". He had no choice in the matter. From within, he felt an animal's consciousness take hold as the human part was suppressed.

Gritting his sharp teeth from the pain, Jamie felt his ears migrate to the top of his head. The change was not over yet. His torso and lower body had yet to begin.

The human's body expanded as the internal organs grew in size. The heart grew twofold as it beat faster to spread the taint throughout the body. The lungs swelled as they moved to cope with the increased demand for oxygen. Muscles that were just faintly visible hypertrophied up to the point that they stretched at the human's uniform, the pectorals being the most involved.

Feeling the tight uniform, the lycanthrope drew his claws across it. As the polo came apart in tatters, the Lycan felt freer than before. Tiny hairs began to cover the body, almost completely encasing it. Panting from the exertion, the lycanthrope kicked off his shoes. There was no longer a need for it. It was only a hindrance to movement. The leg muscles hypertrophied as well, ensuring endurance for the new-born Lycan when he started chasing his prey. His feet lost their human look as the nails became claws and lengthened outward. The tautness of the Achilles tendon pulled both feet so that the Lycan would only walk on his digits. Pads appeared under each of the four toes and the palm of the foot. The fifth toe was absorbed and was no more.

A tail ripped through the soldier's trousers, the furry appendage wagging behind the Lycan. The tiny hairs soon spread outward and onward, covering the naked body with fur. Jamie gasped as something grabbed his crotch. Tearing away the briefs he wore, he noticed that a piece of skin now covered his length. The fur had already covered his chest, stomach, sheath and groin in a blood-red color matching the fur on the rest of the body.

The soldier moaned as he felt his throbbing erection. The ebony shaft extended out of its home and stood at twelve inches long, two and half inches thick. As he stroked the massive shaft, he felt the canine knot at the base. Every time he touched it, he moaned lustily. The human scrotum had enlarged and now hung lower. The testicles inside resembled large goose eggs, just round. These began to produce the tainted seed of a Lycan, the human seed leaking out.

"Jamie, what's happened to you?" the colonel gasped in shock at his subordinate's transformation.

"I'm sorry, Andy. Jamie is no longer here. It's Killer now" the blood-red wolf looked down at his former commander and kept stroking himself. He could feel the pleasure building the more he stroked.

Just a few more strokes...

"Yeah!" exclaimed Killer as he blew his load over his former superior. Wad after wad of the thick, creamy semen sprayed onto the human colonel's flight suit; staining it a deep green. When Killer had finished, he fixed his lustful gaze upon the struggling human on the floor.

"Mmmm, I won't mind that human sucking my cock" he said as he approached the immobilized human.

Anubis cleared the lust from the wolf's mind and made him focus. Now was not the time for an orgy.

"Killer, take Shepherd into the netherworld. Use this" tossing a pendant to the new Lycan.

"Of course, my Lord. It shall be done" Killer responded, all thoughts of sex gone.

"All of you, follow the human through. I will deal with the rest" Anubis announced to the cabin.

The motley assortment of Lycans and humans gave their assent, including the flight crew.

"Sir," the pilot saluted the demigod, "we wish to join as well. We are not keen to be a party towards murder, human or otherwise"

"Go ahead, Captain Rogers. Give this ankh to Isis; she will know what to do with the wounded to follow" Anubis told the human pilot, handing over a silver ankh.

"As you will, my Lord" the pilot agreed, accepting the ankh and walking into the portal. Copper was already on the other side when the pilot entered. The portal closed behind him, leaving Anubis inside the AWACS.

"Anubis to all ground units. We have been betrayed. Those bombers seek to kill all on the ground, human and Lycan. Where do you stand?" Anubis broadcast into the surrounding transceivers.

"We stand with you sir. Those bombers will rue the day that they bombed the SAS WolfPack unit" Colonel Price answered for the unit.

"Aye, we stand with you Anubis. They will pay for this. With their lives, if need be" seconded McTavish.

"Do what you must, sir. The task force stands with you as one entity" both the Hunter and Recon units replied.

"This is Lupine Three, we are RTB. TF Lycan, you're on your own. Godspeed" the pilot in charge of the Apache gunships said, wheeling his attack helicopters around and returning to base.

"This is Tyr, we are sorry. We are RTB as well" the Lynx commander called out.

"Anubis, don't do this!" a voice called out.

06.45 hours

Tactical Center

Pentagon

Arlington, Virginia

General Stephen Sawyer spewed his coffee all over one of the radio operators when he heard the transmissions. The poor operator had to stand and get himself cleaned up. Sage obligingly took over the vacated console. Slipping the headphones on, he had a vision of what would happen.

"Anubis, don't do this! We can still reach a compromise. Don't follow through, I beg of you" Sage said into the set, startling the operators on either side.

I am sorry Sage. There is nothing that can be done. The humans have drawn first blood. We must respond or we will appear weak. I will come for you when the time is ripe. I turn over A.S.R.O.C. to your command. Have faith, old friend. We will see each other again.

"Anubis, don't do this. We can still cooperate. Please just hear me out" Sage pleaded into the headset.

"Very well. You have five minutes to call off the bombers or I will" Anubis said, focusing on the energy signatures of the approaching B-52s, B-2s and B-1s.

Switching frequencies, Sage hailed the bombers.

"Blue Boy, this is Panther. Stop the bomb run, I say again stop the bomb run. We are at Condition Blue. Do you copy?" Sage contacted the bomber group, in a frantic effort to get control over the situation.

"Panther, Condition Blue is overridden. We have direct orders from the President to neutralize all ground units. Tell the Lycans to hold. We can get them all in one strike." Blue Boy replied.

See what I mean Sage? They will not stop because you were bypassed. I suspect that Secretary Simmons forced this on the President. Ask for confirmation from the bombers.

"Blue Boy, who issued authorization? You'll be dropping danger close to SAS WolfPack" Sage said, in an attempt to turn the bombers back.

"Panther, get the SAS out of the area. We only have orders to neutralize the lycan presence on the ground. Authorization Zulu Mike Foxtrot, over" Blue Boy replied.

Sage's breath caught in his throat. "Anubis was telling the truth. That is the authorization code for Secretary Rose Simmons" he thought to himself.

"Abort now! Command override Alpha Tango 23456-9062" Sage said into the piece, informing the pilot of the override command. The pilot just shook his head.

"Stephen, get off this frequency. I only have one chance to eliminate the threat and here it is. Don't get in my way!" the sickly, sweet voice of Rosalyn "Rose" Simmons came over the radio.

"Ms. Secretary, you could ignite a war. A war that could lead to the extinction of the human species, as we know it. STAND DOWN!"Sage shouted into the radio.

They have played their hand. Allow me to show mine. Canid is no longer a threat. Seek him out at Alert. I will gather the forces of the netherworld for a massive showdown between the world's armies. Godspeed, old friend.

"Anubis, don't do this. We can still work this out. Give us another chance!" Sage called out just as the line went dead. Putting his head in his hands, the officer gave a heart wrenching sob. This would be the third time that he failed. He failed once with Shade, the second was Canid. Now with Anubis on a warpath, there would be no more walls to hide behind. No more excuses, no more fence-sitting...

"General Sawyer, pull yourself together! You're setting a bad example for the men!" a strong tenor's words brought the weeping general back to earth. As Sage looked into golden yellow eyes, Secretary Michael Jackson was close to snapping. He bodily lifted the six-foot three-inch, 175lb. Ranger from the chair and carried him like a sack of potatoes to a private office.

Anubis, your little outburst has played havoc on Sage's nerves. I suggest that you allow the puny human her victory. Come back at a later time when they have grown complacent. Strike then and we will watch the humans crumble before us. Odin telepathically told Anubis.

Anubis threw out his mentor's advice. Since when do we have to abide by their rules? They show no compulsion in breaking established protocol for material conquest. I will show them the meaning of the word betrayal. I will lay waste nine cities for every Lycan killed today. If Canid was bad, what happens when you provoke a dragon?

Anubis, I order you as your adviser to calm down.

You have no authority!

As your friend, I am asking you to withdraw. Bring the forces that wish to join you. Train them in the netherworld. Come back while the humans are celebrating for the ultimate coup. Please, just go quietly.

Anubis thought deeply. What Odin said had merit. In his emotionally charged state, Anubis came close to unleashing all of hell's creatures on both innocent and guilty alike. Osiris' words came back to him 'you are the embodiment of each of us. Apis is stubborn and will refuse advice if he believes himself to be right. Choose your path wisely'

Very well, old friend. We will leave the bodies of the dead behind. These bodies will receive the brunt of the firestorm. Inform me when Rose moves on the remaining Lycans I leave behind. Like a thief I will come in the night and steal her life away from her. What is a right for all, she considers a privilege. I shall return.

Good luck Anubis. Say hi to Set for me.

I will. If you need me, I will be close by.

"Sage, wake up. You're dreaming again" the secretary slapped Sage on the cheek, waking the catatonic general.

"I have to stop Anubis from destroying the bombers! He must show restraint. I have to..." Sage said, receiving another slap from the Defense Secretary.

"Anubis will do what needs to be done. In the meantime, he has left you as over-all commander of the task force. I have to get you to Schneider before Rose implements another Holocaust" Michael Jackson told the shocked human.

"How did you..." Sage started.

"I'll tell you later. For now, we must make haste for Andrews. I'll drive the SR-71A all the way to Schneider. There, you have to rally the Lycans to brace for the loss of their Alpha. While Anubis trains the humans, you have taken up the custodial status until he returns. Do not worry. I or Anubis will be with you every step of the way" Secretary Jackson informed his human counterpart, as both of them grabbed their coats and made their way out of the deep bunker.

09.00 hours

5,000 feet

3rd Bomber Group

United States Air Force Strategic Air Command

Yukon Territories, Canada

Major Andrea "Drew" Wolf

It has been fifteen minutes since Oracle went silent. All attempts to contact the AWACS have met with futility. We are approaching the designated drop site when I notice a squadron of AH-64 gunships move in the opposite direction. They were closely followed by Westland Lynxes. With both groups moving away from the DZ, I assumed that the task force was left to die.

So it was with a heavy heart that I nodded to my co-pilot to inform the bombardier to arm the 1500lb. JDAMS, napalm and incendiaries. The B-2s following behind would drop FAE's or fuel air explosives to suck out all the oxygen from the area and igniting the massive mix of fuel and air to create a giant fireball. The B-1s would be dropping JDAMS and at least three of them carried MOABs. These would be deployed last. The blast from these weapons would ensure that nothing survived, not even the task force.

"Charles, this is Dave. Arm the bombs and prepare to drop" the co-pilot informed the bombardier over the intercom.

"Copy that, Dave. Are you sure that we can't just abort? Those are US Army personnel down there, not to mention SAS. What will the press think?" Charles "Heart" Jean replied.

"I have my orders and you have yours. None of us will do another like this. When I get back to Edwards, I'm resigning my commission. It is up to you guys to decide what to do after this" Andrea broke the silence.

"Okay, then. We are almost on target. Keep her steady Drew. I don't want to have shorts right now" Dave said as he lined his sights.

"Dropping ordnance now" Dave said, opening the bomb bay doors and letting loose twelve tons of bombs onto the ground below. The camera positioned on the belly of the plane captured the visible shockwaves of the bombs hitting the earth. When the napalm hit the ground, a river of fire appeared.

The moment the lead bomber began dropping; its fellows behind it dropped their ordnance onto the battlefield. As the last of the Stratofortresses dropped its payload, the entire bomber group turned south and went straight home. It was now the turn of the B-2s and their fuel air bombs.

09.30 hours

10,000 feet

4th Bomber Group

United States Air Force Strategic Air Command

Yukon Territories, Canada

Captain Robert Orlando A. Roosevelt

Roar looked down and saw the devastation caused by the first group's bomb run. He too had misgivings dropping ordnance right on the heads of the task force. There has never been one like it in history, intentionally dropping this much ordnance danger close. The risk of friendly casualties was very high.

"God, I pray that someone is still alive" he muttered to no one in particular.

"You said it Roar. I don't like this at all. What if we get blamed for the deaths of the task force?" his co-pilot answered.

"We blame the bitchy secretary of course" Roar laughed mirthlessly. In all his years as a bomber pilot, he had never intentionally dropped live ordnance on his own units. He wasn't going to start now.

Pulling his aircraft straight upwards, he kept the doors shut. He preferred dismissal from service than living with a large amount of guilt on his conscience.

"If we get heat for not dropping the bomb, I take full responsibility. We clear on that Romy?"

"Yeah, Roar. We're clear" his co-pilot said as they banked to the right and made for home.

Neither pilot noticed a pair of amber eyes watching them from inside the cockpit. "Interesting, these two would rather be court-martialed than carry out a heartless order. Anubis will be pleased to hear about this" the shadow said before disappearing.

10.00 hours

15,000 feet

7th Bomber Group

United States Air Force Strategic Air Command

Yukon Territories, Canada

Secretary Rosalyn "Rose" Simmons

At last my moment of triumph is at hand! With this last strike, the Lycans will be neutralized and the President will recognize me as the savior of mankind! I can use this to run for the presidency this November. It's too bad about losing the task force. They outlived their usefulness.

"Pilot, how far are we from the target? I want to see the site burned beyond ANY recognition. Well?" she said into her headset.

"Two minutes to target. We will be releasing the MOAB and bank sharply to the left to avoid the blast radius" the pilot said, rather irritated at the annoyance in the back.

"Bank right! I want to see the blast!" she whined like a spoiled brat.

"We will bank left or we risk running into the other bombers" the pilot said with an air of finality.

"Fine, kiss your budget goodbye" she huffed.

It took every ounce of the pilot's willpower to not drop the controls and strangle the bitch in the cabin. Taking slow, deep breaths, Captain Henri "Dogma" Wilkins, brought his bubbling rage under control. Grasping the controls so hard his knuckles turned white, the twelve-year combat pilot vowed to stick the demanding bitch to one of the bombs if she made another snide comment.

Thankfully, the "bitch" kept her mouth shut.

It will be alright, captain. Just relax. Allow me to relieve the tension you are feeling right now. Anubis informed the stressed pilot, massaging the soul to free up space. Almost immediately, the captain eased off the controls and opened the bomb bay doors. With the target area already in flames, the captain released the MOAB and banked left.

Good, now level off. Allow the bitch to get her only taste of victory. She does not have long to live.

The captain complied with an evil smile on his face. His co-pilot took one look and almost wet himself.

The co-pilot would later testify that Captain Wilkins was sporting a look that only the Devil would love. By the time of the testimony, it would be already too late. The humans were on the verge of defeat and majority of the world's forces had joined ranks with the Lycans.

A giant fireball appeared as the bomb detonated just fifteen feet from impact. The ball of fire laying bare twelve hectares of forest in an instant. With the plane level, the secretary squealed with joy at the massive fireball.

Her joy was short-lived. An explosion off the starboard wing made her look into the eyes of a white-winged wolf.

It was Nex. He had refused to leave with Anubis, preferring to stand and fight. It was fortunate that he did not show up on radar. Otherwise, what he wanted to happen would have been thwarted.

One of the B-1s had its MOAB go off inside the fuselage. This was what caused the explosion. The entire aircraft just vaporized. Nex was hovering just to the right of the B-1 when Rose spotted him in his naked glory.

Nex aimed his M21 rifle at the window and opened fire. At that very moment, another of the B-1s opened up with a rocket pod. With the rocket projectiles headed straight for the winged Lycan, Nex nimbly danced around each one as he kept blasting away at the armored window. One of the bullets penetrated the window, its hollow point tip just inside the cabin.

Captain Dogma responded by throwing his B-1 into a steep climb until he reached 30,000 feet. At altitude, he leveled off and turned for home. His passenger was shaken by her experience and drew her own conclusion from the incident.

Nex destroyed three more bombers by shooting armor-piercing rounds into the fuel tanks. When the remaining two bombers called for immediate support, Nex charged headlong into one of the cockpits, shattering the tough polycarbonate windscreen. Inside, he decapitated the flight crew and jammed the door. When the crew thought to bail out, he was waiting for them.

The first crew member to jump out had his chute snatched away. He fell thirteen thousand feet to his death. The second one fared no better, losing his chute as well before plummeting to his doom. The third one was marginally better; he had leaped outwards and hugged the chute. When Nex made a bid to grab it, the human had drawn a Beretta and opened fire. This was just a distraction for the last three to make good their escape.

Nex killed the interloper and made for the other three escapees. He was just within reach when tracers streaked by. A squadron of F-15C Eagles in the area responded to the distress call of the last bomber and had pushed out maximum thrust to provide security. Keeping his distance, Nex howled in defiance. When the Eagles swung around for another pass, he was ready for them.

"This is Archangel. We have the target in our sights. Guns only" the lead fighter reported in. The pilot depressed a button on his joystick and let loose with dual cannon fire. Nex dove away towards the ground to avoid the cannon fire.

"Not fast enough, little demon" another pilot responded. "Fox three" letting loose a Sidewinder missile. The heat-seeking missile homed in onto the signature of the Lycan. They were a little over four miles from the bomb site and the jets were keeping a close eye on him.

Enough Nex. You have made your point. Let them win this round. I will help you construct a new body.

_Alpha?_Nex stopped and the missile made contact. The resultant explosion of a fine bloody mist was a source of rejoicing for the fighter pilots and the surviving aircrew.

12.45 hours CST

June 14th 2016

Schneider AFB

General Stephen "Sage" Sawyer

A.S.R.O.C. Temporary C-IN-C

"My brothers, let us pause in our activities to pray for our departed commander. He fought for this country he loved so much, only to be betrayed by one with vile intent. We can only hope that wherever he is, that he will watch over us and guide our steps" Sage was telling the assembled personnel.

"We take this moment of silence to pray for the ones we have lost in the treachery conceived by man. Soon, we will make them tremble with fear. Those who stand with him will be rewarded when the time is right" Jason Fern addressed the base.

Emerald, Bookie, Eagle Eye, and St. Nick were each accorded a full pardon by the President over protests by Secretary Simmons. Evidence had surfaced that showed the four of them had no part in the plans of Canid to kill the entire base. These were found among the personal effects of one Paul "Anubis" Schumann.

Anubis watched the proceedings from the shadows. The time was not yet ripe for him and the rest of the missing regiment to reappear in public. He would allow the humans to gloat. For now he would stay in the shadows and manipulate events to his favor. Canid would still have to be dealt with, but the rogue had a different part to play.

"Still missing your mate?" Colonel Price appeared beside the jackal demigod. "Don't worry; he can manage without you for a few months time" the human said, placing his arm around the jackal.

"I still don't understand. Why did we have to go underground?" Major McTavish announced, making his presence known to the other two.

"We have to let them become complacent. We build up our forces in secret. The dead Lycans' souls were transferred to other hosts. They will act as sleeper agents until we are ready" Anubis stated calmly.

"Are you sure they won't just seek Canid out?" McTavish pressed. The major had to be sure; a lot of effort would be wasted if the sleepers went active without any central command.

"No. Only one of the pantheon can activate the sleepers. That was a fail-safe I inserted to ensure no outside influence will occur. Currently, only my father, myself, Set and Ra hold the activation keys. All four of us have to agree on activation before the sleepers shed their human shell for their true selves"

"They're wrapping up" a new voice spoke.

The three officers turned towards the newcomer. Neil's soul was standing before them. The winged wolf had been busy with Ptah in designing a new body for him to inhabit. It was peculiar that Nex's soul matched his form. The other Lycans' souls were human.

"Let's head on back to the palace. We still have to finalize our plans for the invasion and assimilation of the human race" Major McTavish stated, shifting into his Lycan form. The black-furred wolf was joined by his mate, Colonel Price, a golden-furred wolf. Both Lycans stood at rigid attention, waiting for Anubis to enter the portal. When the demigod had stepped on through, followed by Nex, the two wolves closed the gate and bid farewell to the mortal plane once more.

"See something, Rush? You've been jittery during the entire service" White asked his nervous counterpart.

"Anubis was here. He was watching us and he will be back for what is rightfully is" Rush said, burying his head into the werefox's white fur.

"Soon, my friend. No more hiding" Emerald whispered to the werewolf.